Fish Story (2009)

The marketing team on this movie must have had one hell of a headache trying to figure out how to make it accessible to a wider audience. They obviously didn't succeed seeing as there was almost no noise about this movie at the time of its release. And that's a shame, considering how well-crafted and intelligent it was.

It actually operates on a conceit that's fairly common these days; the non-linear yet interconnected vignettes that coalesce into an overarching plot. Oftentimes, in these types of films, the actual story is less interesting than the way it's assembled. Take for instance, Christopher Nolan's Memento (2000), which was fascinating for its accurate and chilling portrayal of the nature of retrograde amnesia but would have been merely a middling crime thriller if assembled in chronological order. However, other films use this plot technique in order to symbolically resonate with the themes presented in the story, such as Marc Webb's charming (if a bit precious) (500) Days of Summer (2009). Fish Story definitely falls into the latter category and (at least for me personally) does even a little bit more.

I love the Butterfly Effect. Not the crap film starring Ashton Kutcher but the actual phenomenon. It's something that, when portrayed right, can be smart and gripping. Fish Story uses the medium of urban legend to give some physical form to the theory and to trace the evolution of a myth and its implications for the fate of humanity. It sounds a bit ludicrous and melodramatic, but the film is so self-assured that you really can't doubt its intentions, ones that become more and more believable as the film progresses. And, if all of that sounds lacking in proper gravitas (which it sort of does, on paper), the film also has a recurring theme of resilient underdogs who emerge triumphant or at least at peace at the end of the day. As such, even if the main story doesn't float your boat, there will be definitely something to appreciate in the smaller arcs.

Lest that all might seem a bit stuffy, the film actually has a good sense of humor. One that's a little self-deprecating and rife with situational irony. It might not be a laugh out loud comedy, but it will definitely elicit a wry chuckle or too here and there at the expense of some of the more hapless characters. Which, come to think of it, is essential in a film like this. It's not hard to become pretentious when using this particular film-making conceit, but Fish Story so easily circumvents this pitfall because it knows how to laugh at itself.

Is it the best film ever? No. It's probably not even the best film in its niche genre, but it's definitely safe to say that it stands in the top ranking for being the most fun and the most exhilarating. And also for having a great song. If you're into punk or j-rock, Fish Story (the song) is a satisfying reason enough to give this film a spin.

Tl;dr? Watch it for some intelligent fun, an interesting storytelling format, and a kickass song.

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The one review this movie has is already great; kinda made me watch this movie. But since it's the best movie I've seen in a while, I feel obliged to write one.

It's about a song saving the world, about random events that can lead on to something great. Watching this movie is like zooming in with a photo lens,coming to the focus seeing everything around it. And it has a song, Fish Story. All I can say that it's the only Japanese song I listen to, makes you shout "punk is not dead!"

So, if you are waiting for something to blow your mind, this is it!
Ending with the opening verse of fish story,

"The story of my solitude,
If my solitude were a fish,
It would be so enormous, so militant,
A whale would get out of it."

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A Punk Rock Band That Saved the World!

"Fish Story" is about a punk rock band that saved the world. And the movie is just as clever, witty, and fun as that premise would lead you expect. Hell, there's a reason this movie always lands on lists for "Top 100 Japanese Movies of All Time." The reason is that it is perfection. No, perfection incarnate.

Consider the opening scene, which depicts a meteor on its way to destroy the earth in a couple of hours. Corporate buildings are deserted, cars abandoned in the middle of the street, and litter strewn everywhere in the wake of public panic. Yet there, in a vintage record store, two dudes are calmly debating whether or not a certain band qualifies as authentic punk rock. It's funny as hell because rock nerds truly do regard such things as more important than the end of the world. It's a terrific opening scene for what continues to be a terrific movie every second of its duration.

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